Happy Birthday Grandmother!

Today is my grandmothers 85th birthday.

Isn't she beautiful?

My grandmother, Ms. BillE Allison* mother of Karen Allison Wilbanks (that's my mom in case you hadn't gathered), is an amazing woman. She works out at Curves 3 times a week and works in her garden the rest of the time. She has a cup of coffee every morning and a crossword. She's the reason I drink coffee. She also recently decided she deserves to have cable/internet after all these years AND my mom took her for her very first manicure and pedicure. She's living the high life these days.

Going to grandmother's house as a wee one was special for several reasons:

She is super loving and caring

Bubble baths with Mr Bubble

Trips to the PigglyWiggly for treats and toys

My mom's original set of barbies, my uncle's original GI Joes, and books from my mom's
adolescence (Oh yes, I'm talking about the Five Little Pepper's Midway AND the original Nancy Drew novels)

Cuddling in bed with grandmother before sleepy time

My special coffee she made every morning: a teeny bit of actual coffee, cold milk, and sugar

Her adorable two-room house on the farm

Picking strawberries from her strawberry field

Eating the strawberries after they had been in the freezer for a few days.

I still enjoy going to grandmother's in the morning for a cup of coffee, no milk or sugar these days though. Now that I'm older she tells the most wonderful stories from her childhood and adulthood. I love hearing her stories. I wish that I could be in Texas more often in order to hear them all the time. She does have a cell phone now which helps.

My grandmother was 1 of 5 sisters. Unbelievable. All of her sisters have suffered terrible illnessess and ailments in their old age, but my grandmother, for reasons no one knows but are thankful for, is still perfectly healthy. She doesn't really try to be healthy either. I mean, she works out, now, but she doesn't cook anymore. She survives on a diet of frozen meals and the occasional dinner out on the town. Of course, if I was 85, I would probably do the same thing.

I am so lucky to still have this amazing strong and oh so stubborn woman in my life. I didn't get the lucky card when it came to number of grandparents. This woman is the only grandparent I've really ever known. My dad's parents passed away, his mom before I was born and his dad when I was a baby. My grandmother's husband passed away when my mom was 13. She never dated or remarried again. Grandmother always says that she had her one love and was lucky and blessed to have him, even if it was for a shorter time than most people get to spend together.

Yeah, now I'm tearing up too.

This is the same woman who once told me, "If he doesn't turn you on he's not worth your time." There. That should bring a smile through the tears.

I can't wait to give her a call and wish her happy birthday over the phone. I can't call yet though. Wednesday mornings she goes to Curves so she won't be able to answer my call. She's such a busy body that BillE.

Happy birthday grandmother! I love you!

*that is exactly how her name is spelled, upper-case E and all.